Sent May 27, 2020
First, a Follow-up to Yesterday’s Email
Friend, I hope you’ve carefully read the email I sent yesterday. It explained why West Side is not yet reopening our campus for Sunday worship gatherings.
While I appreciate the many who replied to affirm our approach and to commend us, I also
genuinely appreciate several who respectfully conveyed that they had hoped for a more aggressive reopening schedule. I value being able to say that I/we feel “supported,” even by those who would have preferred a different approach.
While I can’t promise a timeline, I expect us to begin laying out a reopening plan sooner, not later. Meanwhile, let’s practice the instruction to
“be anxious for nothing – and pray about everything.”
Now for the 2nd update and some very good news…
Phase 2 construction news!
If you’ve lost track of where we are in Phase 2 of our campus construction (new worship & concourse space), here’s a review and a look ahead:
- When the shutdown began, West Side’s leaders took the precautionary step of pausing construction. We simply did not know how the economic downturn and the inability to meet on our campus would impact our collective generosity.
- Since the roof for the new worship center was already being delivered to our campus, it made sense to install it (rather than paying to transport it again and store it), so it was installed.
- When the new worship center roof was completed, construction activity was dramatically scaled back, though not completely stopped.
Because of your continuing generosity, our leaders have now authorized the construction of the exterior portion of the final segment of the new space. We nicknamed this final section “the connector” because it will tie the new worship structure to our new main entrance and existing space.
- By late summer or early fall, the shell of the connector (the foundation, exterior walls and roof) will be complete.
- What will remain at that point is the interior work on all of Phase 2 (the new worship center and connector). This interior work represents a very significant portion of Phase 2 and will require 8-9 months to complete.
- Our leaders will not authorize the Phase 2 interior work to begin until it is clear that our collective generosity will allow for its completion.
We hope Phase 2 interior work will begin in early 2021 – and that we will occupy the new worship center by December 2021. The more generous we are in the remaining months of 2020, the more likely this timeline will become. We are thankful to God for your generosity, which is allowing us to proceed with the next part of the new construction – and we are grateful to be able to foresee a timeline for the final portion!
New online worship schedule
Beginning Sunday, June 7, we will revise our online worship schedule. With this adjustment, we will…
- add a weekly traditional online worship service
- modify start times for 2 of our 3 contemporary services.
- 8:30am – Contemporary Worship at TryChurchOnline.com (TCO)
- 10:00am – Contemporary at TCO
- 11:30am – Contemporary at TCO
- 1:00pm – Traditional Worship at TCO
Since start times will be 90 minutes apart, it will be easier to share them with others! Again, the new schedule is effective June 7, one week from this coming Sunday! When it’s time to resume worship on our campus, we’ll clarify start times. The new online schedule is likely to be our schedule when we return to campus.
Friend, remember what we’ve sung several times recently: “Don’t lose heart, oh my soul.” Wonderful things are ahead.
With love and hope,
Eddie & West Side's Leaders
PS – Need something? Email us at care@wschurch.org.